Painkiller overdose deaths are growing even faster for women than for men, according to a new CDC study of national statistics, providing some alarm but also some insight into how to combat the problem.

Doctors and pharmacists were still struggling Tuesday to come up with reasons for the sharp increases among women. The CDC said previous research has shown more women vulnerable to chronic pain, or more susceptible to becoming dependent on painkillers, but not all in the medical field are comfortable making those sweeping judgments.

Dr. Gina Moore, of the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said she was interested in the CDC observation that women may be good at the doctor-shopping required in a serious addiction. Many addicts flit among doctors once the provider becomes suspicious about their pill use.

Many women are used to navigating the health care system for themselves and their families, and may be comfortable with the quick moves needed to stay ahead of pharmacists and doctors, said Moore, who is a professor at the pharmacy school. Moore said there may also be more dosage issues for women, as painkiller dosages for the mainstream may be too high for smaller-bodied women, pushing them over an edge from viable use to medically dangerous levels of the opioid.

Moore said she is encouraged by recent changes in practice and rules that have pharmacies doing more to prevent abuse.

“In the Denver market, we’re seeing pharmacies taking a much more proactive role in checking opioid histories to catch signs of abuse early on,” said Moore. Colorado has a prescription management database that providers can check, where controlled substances like opioids must be entered. Pharmacists and doctors who use it before prescribing or dispensing can see patterns of abuse developing for some patients. The DEA has said in the past it is frustrated by how few doctors are using the system before writing new prescriptions.